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AU-3—Content of Audit Records

IL4 Mod
IL4 High
IL5
IL6

>Control Description

Ensure that audit records contain information that establishes the following: a. What type of event occurred; b. When the event occurred; c. Where the event occurred; d. Source of the event; e. Outcome of the event; and f. Identity of any individuals, subjects, or objects/entities associated with the event.

>DoD Impact Level Requirements

No specific parameter values or requirements for this impact level.

>Discussion

Audit record content that may be necessary to support the auditing function includes event descriptions (item a), time stamps (item b), source and destination addresses (item c), user or process identifiers (items d and f), success or fail indications (item e), and filenames involved (items a, c, e, and f) . Event outcomes include indicators of event success or failure and event-specific results, such as the system security and privacy posture after the event occurred. Organizations consider how audit records can reveal information about individuals that may give rise to privacy risks and how best to mitigate such risks.

For example, there is the potential to reveal personally identifiable information in the audit trail, especially if the trail records inputs or is based on patterns or time of usage.

>Programmatic Queries

Beta

Related Services

CloudTrail
CloudWatch Logs
VPC Flow Logs

CLI Commands

Check CloudTrail event selectors
aws cloudtrail get-event-selectors --trail-name TRAIL_NAME
View sample audit log format
aws cloudtrail lookup-events --max-results 1 --query 'Events[0].CloudTrailEvent'
Check log group retention and format
aws logs describe-log-groups --query 'logGroups[*].{Name:logGroupName,Retention:retentionInDays}'
View VPC flow log format
aws ec2 describe-flow-logs --query 'FlowLogs[*].{Id:FlowLogId,Format:LogFormat}'
Open AWS ConsoleDocumentation

>Related Controls

AU-2
AU-8
AU-12
AU-14
MA-4
PL-9
SA-8
SI-7
SI-11

>Assessment Interview Topics

Questions assessors commonly ask

Process & Governance:

  • •What formal policies and procedures govern the implementation of AU-3 (Content Of Audit Records)?
  • •Who are the designated roles responsible for implementing, maintaining, and monitoring AU-3?
  • •How frequently is the AU-3 policy reviewed and updated, and what triggers policy changes?
  • •What training or awareness programs ensure personnel understand their responsibilities related to AU-3?

Technical Implementation:

  • •Describe the specific technical mechanisms or controls used to enforce AU-3 requirements.
  • •What automated tools, systems, or technologies are deployed to implement AU-3?
  • •How is AU-3 integrated into your system architecture and overall security posture?
  • •What configuration settings, parameters, or technical specifications enforce AU-3 requirements?

Evidence & Documentation:

  • •What documentation demonstrates the complete implementation of AU-3?
  • •What audit logs, records, reports, or monitoring data validate AU-3 compliance?
  • •Can you provide evidence of periodic reviews, assessments, or testing of AU-3 effectiveness?
  • •What artifacts would you present during a FedRAMP assessment to demonstrate AU-3 compliance?

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